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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · stick · pop · rush · vault · key · plane · fine

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fine — all right
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pop — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — a subject
  8. vault — a safe
  9. key — for a lock
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com